Who is the Japanese Samurai on horseback that the old Tanuki changed into?
That scene is based on the famous story of Nasu no Yoichi in “The Tale of Heike” , the story which took place in the end of the 12th Century (at first, Takahata wanted to make “The Tale of Heike” into anime, instead of doing a story about Tanuki). The Heike clan and the Genji clan were fighting to be the ruler of Japan. At the battle of Yashima (Ya Island), Heike lost the battle and fled the island by ships. One of the women of Heike then attached her fan to a pole and raised it, challenging the Genji Samurais to shoot it. But since it was too far from the shore and the target was constantly moving, the Genji Samurais hesitated. Then, to protect the honor and the pride of Genji, a young Samurai, Nasu no Yoichi, stepped forward. He successfully shot the hinge of the fan, separating it from the pole. Everyone, both Genji and Heike, cheered for this master archer. The old tanuki (999 years old!) is from Yashima, and he saw this battle with his own eyes. That’s why the other Tanukis asked
